Mask & Goatee. Need a better fit & don't want to shave :(

[diver@35]

Hi!

Went for our first Pool Dive for the OW Cert last night. Killer class. Only one thing took away from the experience. I could have had a much better seal on my mask if I didn't have my goatee.

I'm rather fond of my facial hair. Without it I look like a pre-pubescent farm-boy so if I can avoid shaving it and get a better seal on my mask that would be great.

It wasn't a bad leak but I had to clear about every 4 minutes or so. I adjusted the straps and the fit seemed good. My instructors said that I could use mustache wax. Don't know about that and don't know where to get it.

Any other ways for an Otter Face like me to get a good seal on their mask and NOT shave?

Thanks :browsmile

 

[Ontario Diver]

Speaking from experience.......

Clip the stache short, shave a bit under the nose for a better seal and repeat...

"PURGE VALVE IS GOOD!" a thousand times

You'll never get a perfect seal but a purge valve stops you from having to do a full mask clear every time....

 

[Doc Intrepid]

No.

Get a full-face mask, lose the hair that's preventing a tight seal, or live with seepage. The moustache wax/vaseline/axle grease-thing works for about 1/2 of one dive. Then you're back where you started...

YMMV.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Diver's trim ... shave the stash down about half-way from the top.

Kinda gives it that "Errol Flynn" look ... and the mask seals nicely ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Michael Schlink]

OK OK your goatee is on your chin, it's your mustache that's causing a problem right?
Forget the wax crap and all that other stuff. Get a beard trimmer and "thin" your 'stach down the day before you dive. If your lucky enough to be diving a lot then keep it shorter. You'll learn to clear your mask without thinking about it so don't worry about it much. I have a mustache (always have, never haven't) and I just don't think about it much. Try thinning it back the day before you dive and then let it grow out 'till next dive time.-M

 

[freediver]

shave the hair down a bit
use silicone on the hair
find a mask with a black skirt (a wide skirt should make a difference) black silicone is a bit more pliable

 

[ShakaZulu]

Just dive more, eventually you won't even notice............or get one of these.

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=ItemDisplay&ProductID=OEDFFM

 

[miketsp]

I just shave about 1/8" under the nose, hardly noticable and choose a mask with a thin seal line in this area. No problem at all.
Some masks require a wide contact area under the nose and those are no good for us hairies.

 

[Mako Mark]

trim it as short as you can without losing your mojo

some shave the top bit, so that there is a line of sealable skin between the nose and the mo'.

I do it the other way, I pull the mask lower so that it almost covers the lips.

I have never used the wax or vaseline, as I guarantee it will cause the mask to fog.

 

[diver@35]

Good idears!

I'll trim it down a notch. Always been a fan of Erol Flyn anyway I'll also try the silicone. I have a mask with a thin skirt so these other things should do the trick.

Thanks much